Rawalpindi district courts killings: Nominated accomplice pleads innocent

[Veer]

RAWALPINDI:
A man arrested for his link with the killing of four men inside Rawalpindi district courts pleaded innocent before the district and sessions judge here on Thursday.
Wajid Iqbal, who is a reader at a civil court of a female judge, was arrested by the Civil Lines police on Wednesday after one of the arrested attackers identified him as the person who helped them smuggle weapons inside the district courts.
In his confessional statement, Iqbal said he did not know the attacker and only given him a ride to the courts on his motorcycle. He said that the attacker, identified as Khizer, was carrying a schoolbag.
A police officer told The Express Tribune that the CCTV video of the court’ premises confirms Iqbal’s claims. He said that the weapons used for killing the three under-trial prisoners last Saturday were taken to the court premises by Khizar but since his arrest he has been deceiving the police about how he smuggled the weapons inside the courts.
On November 12, three under-trial prisoners, Chadhry Shaukat Ali, his brother Chaudhry Arsgad and nephew Chaudhry Ghalib alias Mithu and a passerby Muhammad Iqbal were shot dead by four attackers in Rawalpindi district courts in broad daylight in an act of revenge. All three were charged with murder.
The gruesome incident sparked concerns about the inadequacy of security measures in the court premises and safety of regular visitors among the legal fraternity, judicial staff and litigants. Following the incident, the City Police Officer suspended the station house officer of Waris Khan police station for failing to provide necessary security to under trial prisoners and initiated an inquiry against the area deputy superintendent of police.
Security at the courts has since been beefed up, with only three entry gates being kept open and heavily guarded by policemen equipped with metal detectors and walk-through gates.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2011.